


Running

by FunkyTown67_RH



Series: My SPN Rare Ship Creation Challenges [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Candy Shop, Bisexual Male Character, Candy, Gabriel Works in a Candy Store, Gay Male Character, Hair, Hair Brushing, Hair Kink, Homosexuality, Kissing, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Mud, Rain, Restaurants, Running, SPN Rare Ships Creation Challenge, Sam Loves Health Food, Vegetarians & Vegans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 06:53:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8614009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FunkyTown67_RH/pseuds/FunkyTown67_RH
Summary: Gabriel has been eye-stalking the hot man who frequents the vegan restaurant across the street. When the man comes into Gabriel’s candy shop, Gabriel has coherency issues.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [@rareshipcreationschallenge](http://rareshipcreationschallenge.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.
> 
> Tumblr: [funkytown67rh](https://funkytown67rh.tumblr.com/)

     Gabriel owned his own fairly successful candy shop. He had been sorely tempted to call it Sweet Titties, but he figured it wasn’t in good taste and he needed customers. That didn’t keep him from calling it that in his head. In reality, the red neon sign out front read Sweet Treats. Boring, but it was socially acceptable. **  
**

    The bell above the door rang as two people walked in, a mother and child. The woman was stick thin and wearing a pantsuit in the most ghastly shade of yellow possible. The child was no more than seven and still had a bit of baby chub to him. Both of them had an angry slant to their eyes and Gabriel sensed that neither of them really wanted to be here. Gabriel frowned. Everyone should love being in his shop.

    “What can I do for you today, Madam?” Gabriel bent in a slightly exaggerated bow. The woman just huffed.

    “I need something very sour for this one. He’s been very naughty. Clark, do you want to tell the candy man what you did?” The woman spoke with a British accent as she tugged on her child’s arm. Clark most certainly did _not_ want to tell Gabriel what he’d done, but he obeyed his mother.

    “I stole chocolate from Mama’s shelf,” the child mumbled and kicked at the ground.

    “That he did. And what do candy stealers get? More candy.” The woman gave a predatory grin and Gabriel held onto the counter to keep himself from stepping back. “Show me your most sour candy.”

    “Of course, ma’am.” Gabriel glanced at the boy and saw a tear trickle down his cheek. He was not going to sell candy to be used for punishment. It was time for some trick candy. Gabriel turned his back to the two and grinned silently to himself. Would it be the sweet candy that looked sour? The sour candy that was only sour for a moment and then sweet? Or would it be the sour candy with a toy inside? Gabriel debated with himself for a moment until he heard the woman’s shoe begin to tap impatiently on the black and white tile. He grabbed the sour-then-sweet candy and placed a bag of the multi-colored balls on the counter.

    “One bag is $4.95. Will that be all?” Gabriel didn’t like the woman and wanted her out of his shop, even if he did feel sorry for Clark.

    “Yes,” she handed him a five dollar bill, “Keep the change.” Gabriel caught the boy’s eyes and held a finger up to his lips. The boy stared at him wide-eyed as his mother hauled him out of the  shop. Gabriel smirked and waved until they were gone. He leaned a hip against the counter and stared at the clock. It was 11:00 am, so there wouldn’t be many more customers for another hour. Gabriel sighed in boredom. He preferred the weekends when he was always busy. His hyper energy didn’t do well behind a counter all day. Regardless, he didn’t regret opening his shop. Discount candy all day every day was pretty much his dream come true.

   Gabriel glanced out his front window, anticipating a view of the disgusting vegan restaurant across the street, but instead saw some sort of fight going down. A tall man with long hair was yelling at the woman who had just left his shop and the woman seemed prepared to hit the man with her oversized purse at a moment’s notice. Gabriel pushed up off the counter and moved closer to the window. He was always willing to watch a fight and, damn, that guy had a hot back.

   The woman was the one yelling now. She was standing very still but conveyed enough emotion in her face to make up for it. When she finally moved, it was to gesture in the direction of Gabriel’s candy shop before grabbing Clark’s hand and dragging him away. The man readjusted his shoulders and then turned to look at Gabriel’s store. Gabriel was fully aware that people looking in couldn’t see him unless the sun was at just the right angle, so he wasn’t uncomfortable standing stock still and gaping at the man’s chiseled face and golden-brown mane. Gabriel swung both ways, but for this man, he was 100% gay.

    Then the spell was broken as the man turned away and walked into the vegan restaurant. Gabriel wrinkled his lip. He had no idea how anyone could actually enjoy that crap. Gabriel turned back to his counter and sat in the chair behind it. If he amused himself by thinking about the long-haired man, no one needed to know.

 

    Gabriel didn’t know how long it had been going on, but he was now hyper-aware of it. Every Tuesday and Thursday the long-haired man had an early lunch at the vegan restaurant. Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from watching him walk into the restaurant and then eagerly anticipate him leaving around half an hour later. Gabriel learned several things from his slight obsession.

   He finally learned the restaurant’s name after three years of being its neighbor: The Healthy Horse. He learned that the man wore plaid every day, without fail. Additionally, he always wore jeans and work boots. Gabriel truly appreciated the days he wore the snugger jeans. The man sometimes dragged a slightly shorter man, who Gabriel desperately hoped was his brother and not something else, to lunch with him. From the faces the other man often made, Gabriel assumed he shared his own opinions on vegan food.

    So Gabriel sat behind his counter every Tuesday and Thursday, just waiting until his clock read 11:00 am. If a customer interrupted his staring ritual or, god forbid, made him miss it, he spent the rest of the day sulking.  It was pathetic how much he was hooked on this man without ever meeting him. Gabriel had almost convinced himself to just take a short vacation, close the shop one Tuesday, and force himself to eat at The Healthy Horse just so he could introduce himself to the mystery man. But he couldn’t do it until Christmas had passed. There were too many people buying chocolates and candy for the holidays.

    On an unusually quiet day, Gabriel beat his pen on the desk in a rough staccato and glanced at his clock again. 10:35. Not time yet. The bell on the door jingled and Gabriel looked up to greet the customer. He nearly had a heart attack. Dropping his pen, he hurried to stand as he watched the mystery man approach the counter.

    “I’m buying something for my brother for Christmas. He really loves pie, but that’s hard to put in a stocking. Can you suggest anything?” The man spoke in a deep rumble which Gabriel couldn’t stop himself from thinking was sexy as Hell. As the man leaned his hips against the counter, Gabriel realized that he’d been asked a question.

    “Pie? Right, yes. Um. I have some… yes. This way,” Gabriel was having trouble focusing on which candy to recommend as he slid out from behind the counter. He realized that he was wearing an old t-shirt and faded jeans. Not very attractive. It’s not like he expected this sex god to come into his shop! Gabriel walked to the wall on which his more unusual candies were kept. He was keenly aware of the man following him.

    “I have some caramels with pecans in them that basically taste like pecan pie. Uh, I also have some fruit flavored ones that could be like blueberry, apple, or cherry pie,” Gabriel pointed to the different kinds of candy as he mentioned them. If he focused on the candy, he could keep himself from staring like a creep and he might just be able to form intelligent sentences.

    “I’ll take a little of each of those. What’s this?” The man bent over and, sweet Jesus!, he was wearing the snug jeans today. Gabriel blinked twice and forced his attention to the jar the man was pointing at.

    “Oh! How could I have forgotten about those?” Gabriel knew exactly how, but he wasn’t going to tell the man, “Those are basically flavored meringue puffs. They’d be perfect if you wanted to represent key lime or lemon meringue pie.”

    The man chuckled and Gabriel's heart stopped at the noise. He wanted to hear it again, but the man was speaking and  he needed to pay attention. “My brother is going to love this. I just hope he doesn’t put himself in a sugar coma. He isn’t exactly into healthy eating”

    “Yeah, he doesn’t seem too excited when you take him to that vegan restaurant.” The words flew out of Gabriel’s mouth before he could stop them. Shit! Now the man’s going to think he’s a stalker, which, maybe he is, but that doesn’t mean he wants anyone knowing it.

    The man raised his eyebrows in surprise and confusion. Gabriel rushed to cover his mistake, “I’m sorry. I didn’t… I don’t…. There’s not much to do but watch the people passing on the street when there aren’t customers. I…uh... Just forget I said anything.” He finishes with a blush. Damn it! Now he looks like a stalker and an idiot.

    “It’s okay. You just surprised me. I guess I go there often enough for people to notice,” he chuckled and Gabriel felt himself getting more and more fascinated by this mystery man, “Anyway, I’ll take a little of everything you pointed at and some of these meringue things.”

    Gabriel nodded silently, afraid to speak again, and retrieved several bags from behind the counter. He handed them to the man. “You might want to come back later for the meringue puffs. Christmas is still two and a half weeks away. I don’t think they’ll last until then.”

    “Sure. No big deal,” the man took the bags and began filling each bag with exactly ten pieces of each candy. Gabriel realized he was staring and forced himself to return to the counter and begin punching in the man’s order. His total came to $6.10. Gabe opened a drawer and began digging, intent to find the half off coupon he hadn’t been handing out in over a year.

    “Okay. That’s it.” The man put four bags on the counter, “How much do I owe you?”

    “Six dollars and ten cents,” Gabriel reported. His fingers brushed the cheap cardboard box he kept the coupons in and he dragged it out, upsetting several piles of unimportant papers. He opened it and pulled out the coupon he was looking for, “And… here’s a coupon for when you come back for the puffs.” Gabriel smiled at the man and handed him the small slip of paper. He was totally bribing the man so he would come back.

    “Oh. Great! Thanks,” the man tucked it into his wallet as he handed Gabriel his card. Gabriel swiped it and handed it back, his fingers brushing the man’s and causing his breath to catch. He hoped the man hadn’t noticed.

    The man collected his bags and held out a hand. Gabriel stared at it for a moment before realizing he was supposed to shake it, “Nice to meet you, Gabriel. I’m Sam, Sam Winchester. Feel free to say hello anytime you see me walking down the street.” The man smiled and let go of Gabriel’s hand. Gabriel was slightly confused by how the man…. Sam… knew his name, but then he remembered his name tag. Sam was already backing away towards the door when Gabriel found his tongue and managed to respond.

    “Gabe. You can call me Gabe.” Gabriel gave Sam a weak smile.

    “Sure thing, Gabe. See you later,” Sam opened the door and was gone. Gabriel sat down with a small humph. The room felt cold and empty without Sam in it. He reviewed the conversation in his head and winced. Could he have been more pathetic? He sighed and let his head fall into his hands. Where was his cocky, flirtatious self when he needed it?

Chapter 2

    A week before Christmas, Sam came back. Gabriel had waved at him a few times when he was passing by, but they hadn’t spoken since Sam first came into the shop. Gabriel was embarrassed to admit, but he’d been dressing nicely every Tuesday and Thursday, hoping Sam would come in. So when Sam came on Monday morning, he completely threw Gabriel for a loop.

    “Hello! I’m back for the meringue puffs,” Sam announced his presence as he pushed through the door. Gabriel nearly fell backwards off his chair.

    “Great! You wanted the lemon and lime, right?” Gabe asked, hoping he wasn’t assuming anything by handing him two bags.

    “Yeah. Thanks.” Sam took the bags from him and headed to where the puffs were stored. Gabriel watched his back and swallowed thickly.

     “So, what are you doing for Christmas?” Gabriel asked, hoping to have a decent conversation with Sam this time.

    “I’m spending it here with my family. They can be crazy and frustrating, but you’ve gotta love them,” Sam grinned and placed his two bags on the counter, “What about you?”

    “I should fly up to a New York to be with my family, but I’m staying  here,” Gabriel shrugged, “They don’t really approve of me and it’s just easier not to see them.” Why was he telling a practical stranger this?

    “I’m sorry. That’s terrible,” Sam’s lips thinned and Gabriel did not watch the motion, “I know a bit about that. My dad wanted me to join the family business like my brother, but I had other plans. So, here I am. A mostly successful law student.”

    “Good for you. You deserve to do what you want with your own life. Most people underrate freedom,” Gabriel observed and took the coupon from Sam, “Okay, that’s going to be two dollars.”

    Sam handed him two one dollar bills, “Thanks. Anyway, if my brother enjoys your candy, you might have an avid new customer. He can get a bit… zealous with food.” Sam chuckled. He obviously loved his brother. Gabriel caught himself smiling a little too wide as he absorbed Sam’s laugh. Okay, he wasn’t guaranteed to see Sam again after this. It was time to act.

     “I’ve never really been into health food, but do you think I could join you for lunch sometime and you could tell me about it? People keep warning me about diabetes and, honestly, they’re starting to scare me a bit.” Gabriel leaned forwards and whispered the last phrase. That’s what he was talking about! Flirty, not awkward. Good job, Gabe. A group of three loud teenagers stumbled through the door, causing the small bell to go crazy.

    Sam looked surprised at Gabriel’s suggestion, but he was smiling so Gabriel took that as a good sign. “Sure, Gabe. I’d love that. I go to lunch across the street every Tuesday and Thursday,” Gabe nearly rolled his eyes. Of course he knew that, “you’re welcome to join me anytime.”

    “Cool. After Christmas?” Gabriel wanted to go out with him right now but figured that wasn’t quite what Sam meant. Plus, Sam was treating this like a friend thing. Gabriel was a bit disappointed about that but hoped he could turn that around.

    “Great. I guess, see you then,” Sam picked up his bags.

    “See you!” Gabriel waved as Sam opened the door and left. He wasn’t entirely content with that conversation, but it was a large improvement on the last one. One of the teens walked up to the counter. She leaned against it and blushed slightly. She looked back at her friends who motioned for her to continue as they giggled to each other. She looked back at Gabriel.

    “So… you got any drugs?” Her face was bright red and her friends dissolved in laughter. Gabriel raised his eyebrows and sighed. This was going to be a long day.

Chapter 3

    At 10:30 on the first Thursday after Christmas, Gabriel flipped his open sign to closed and crossed the street to wait for Sam in front of the Healthy Horse. His lip curled at the idea of eating there but getting to know Sam was worth it. From the two brief conversations he’d already had with him, Gabriel was pretty sure that he would like more than just Sam’s body. Gabriel seated himself in one of the metal chairs outside the restaurant, prepared to wait.

    Fifteen minutes later and he was already impatient. Yes, he realized he’d gotten here half an hour early, but who could blame him for being anxious? He was going on a non-date with a man he’d been eye stalking for a few months now. And he didn’t even know if he was gay or not. Please, Gabriel prayed, at least let him be bi.

    Eventually, Gabriel saw Sam rounding the corner and stood to greet him. Suddenly he was nervous. Had Sam forgotten about this? Would it be painfully awkward? Had Sam just agreed to be polite but hoped Gabriel never actually joined him? Gabriel had half convinced himself to run across the street into the safety of his shop when Sam noticed him and there was no running away. Gabriel waved but quickly lowered his hand. That probably looked stupid.

    Sam was grinning when he stopped in front of Gabriel, “Hey, Gabe. Good to see you.”

    Gabriel’s lips couldn’t help but respond to Sam’s grin with a smile of their own, “Yeah, you too, Sam. Now, don’t make this too painful for me. I honestly don’t care for the idea of vegan food.”

    Sam laughed and Gabriel realized he could easily become addicted to the sound, “Don’t worry. It’s actually pretty good. Come on, let’s get a table.” Sam walked inside and Gabriel followed. The inside had a distinctly rustic feel, the clean and orderly type of rustic.

    When they walked up to the counter, the waitress behind it immediately recognized Sam, “Hey, Sam! Brought a date this time, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows as she picked up two menus.

    Sam ducked his head and blushed “No, Charlie. Gabe’s just a friend. He owns the candy shop across the street. He wanted to try something a little healthier than what he sells.” Charlie looked at him skeptically and made a ‘mh-hmm’ noise in the back of her throat but didn’t pursue the subject. Instead, she led them to a table obviously meant for couples and handed Gabriel’s menu to him with a sarcastic, “It’s nice to meet you Gabe, Sam’s _friend_ ,” and sauntered off. Gabriel winced to himself. Was he _that_ obvious.

    Sam sighed,”Sorry about her. Charlie likes to tease.”

    “It’s no problem,” Gabe responded, even though he felt an ache in his chest that Sam felt the need to apologize, “So, what’s edible here?”

    Sam gave him a mock glare, “Everything, Gabe. Now don’t be a wuss and tell me what sounds good to you.”

    Gabriel focused on the menu for a few minutes. If he just read the names of the dishes, they sounded all right, but once he read the description, words like “quinoa”, “tofu”, and “soy protein” immediately put him off. Why was he putting himself through this? He peeked over his menu at the enormous man seated across from him. Oh, yes. Because this is where the sex god Sam Winchester chooses to eat.

    Sam was watching Gabriel with an amused expression on his face. “What?” Gabriel demanded.

    “Nothing. You just seem to be having a lot of trouble over there,” Sam was taking way too much amusement from his suffering.

    “Then help me! Everything sounds… healthy.” Gabriel sneered at the menu.

    Sam pinched his lips together, holding in laughter, “That’s why you’re here, Gabe,” Gabriel glared at him and Sam took mercy, “Okay, okay. The black bean burger is pretty good, just don’t try to compare it to actual beef. Or you could just dive in head first and get the green smoothie.” Sam smirked.

    “I will NOT get a freakin’ green smoothie!” Gabriel nearly squeaked. This was seeming like a worse idea with every passing moment. Sam gave him a look. “Fine. I’ll order the black bean burger,” Gabriel decided and laid his menu down on the table.

    “One day, I will get you to try that smoothie. Just you wait,” Sam announced and leaned back, perfectly confident.

    Gabriel smiled, picking up on the subtly stated fact that Sam doesn’t see this as a one-time thing. He leaned forward, “You wanna bet?”

    “Twenty dollars says you’ll try it within two months,” Sam leaned forward as well, putting both elbows on the table.

    “Twenty bucks says I’ll never put that crap near my mouth,” Gabriel was very aware of the decreased distance between him and Sam. Someone cleared their throat to Gabe’s right and he slowly turned his head to glare at Charlie.

    “Sorry to interrupt your lover’s quarrel, but have you decided what you want to drink?” Charlie seemed very amused as she held up her notepad and pencil to take down their order. Sam sighed and covered his face with one hand, not even bothering to argue with her.

    “I’d like water and Gabe here would like your green smoothie,” Sam’s face emerged from behind his hand with a smug grin slapped across it. Gabriel made an indignant noise, but Charlie was already muttering ‘green smoothie’ to herself as she wrote it on her pad. Fine. Sam could order it, but he wasn’t going to drink it.

    “We’re also ready to order,” Sam added.

    “Great, what can I do you for?” Charlie readied her pen and notepad again. Sam looked at Gabriel expectantly.

    “Sam has convinced me to order the black bean burger. Wait, do you even serve buns here?” Gabriel asked in horror, the idea just dawning on him.

    Charlie put a hand up to her mouth and chuckled, “Yes, of course, silly.” Sam rolled his eyes and Gabriel looked down at the table in embarrassment.

    “I’ll take your beefless burrito,” Sam ordered and handed Charlie both of their menus.

    “Okay, guys. I’ll be right back with your drinks,” Charlie trotted away and Sam turned back to Gabriel.

    “Vegan means no animal products, not no processed food. So as long as the bread is made without eggs and milk, it’s fine. Your bun’s going to whole wheat because that’s healthier, but it’s still bread,” Sam explained. Gabriel just stared at him in horror.

    “Whole wheat?” he repeated in a small voice.

    “Yes, Gabe. Whole wheat,” Sam looked him seriously and nodded before cracking a half smile. Gabriel stared at Sam for a moment and then resigned himself to suffer through the burger.

    “So, how was your Christmas?” Gabriel asked the first question that came to mind.

    “No too bad, how about yours?” Sam flipped the question without revealing any details. Gabriel cursed himself. He should have known not to ask that.

    “Ah, it was fine. Stayed at home with some beer. Cool day,” Gabriel kept his reply short. Ever since his family cut him off, he’d spent Christmas and every other damn holiday pretty much alone with only alcohol for company.

    Sam frowned, “Come on. That’s not very nice.” Gabriel just shrugged, not much caring for the subject. Sam must have picked up on that because he quickly veered away from questioning Gabriel. “By the way, Dean loved the candy. He says he’ll definitely be by to check out what else you have.”

    “See. I knew I’d like you. Bringing in business,” Gabriel spread a cocky smile and covered up any of his lingering sadness. They talked a bit about Gabriel’s shop and how he started it. When their drinks arrived, Gabriel pushed the green smoothie towards Sam and rushed to claim the water for himself even though he would have preferred soda. Sam rolled his eyes but accepted the switch. It was when Sam started to suck on the straw and tried to show Gabriel just how good it was that Gabriel realized his mistake. Sam had no idea how seductive he was being. Gabe frowned at him and kicked at his leg under the table. Sam’s eyebrows twitched, but thankfully put the smoothie down.

    Gabriel decided to question Sam about his family, partially out of curiosity and partially to keep him from the smoothie. Sam was very forthcoming and seemed to understand that Gabriel did not want to be questioned back. Gabriel learned all about his brother, Dean, and his parents, John and Mary, and the family business which was an auto repair shop. At some point, the food came and Gabriel took one cautious bite before being distracted by Sam again. Gabriel could honestly say he didn’t really taste his meal. He was too focused on Sam and what he was saying. He wanted to memorize the entire conversation. Every tidbit of information Sam revealed about himself had Gabriel falling deeper and deeper into the hole that was Sam Winchester.

    When they had both finished, Sam asked, “How did you like it?” Gabriel looked down and realized his entire burger was gone.

    “It was okay, could’ve done with some real beef,” Gabriel replied.

    “I told you, don’t compare it to meat. It’s completely different but good,” Sam said, using his hands to emphasize.

     “Meh. It was better than I was expecting.I’ll give you that,” Gabriel couldn’t disappoint Sam. He was rewarded by a smile.

    “See? Now, you’ll try something new next Thursday?” Sam prodded.

    “Next Thursday!? Yeah, sure. I’ll try something… not the smoothie!” Gabriel was floating on cloud nine. Sam wanted to do this again! Even if he had to try every single piece of vegan crap in here, he would never say no to that.

    “Perfect,” Sam stood up and Gabriel followed, “See you next week?” Sam held out a hand to shake.

    Gabriel took his hand and shook it. Sam had a tight grip. “Yes, of course.” They both walked out. After saying goodbye, Sam turned down the street in the direction he’d come from and Gabriel headed across the street. He unlocked his shop and flipped the sign again. His head was buzzing with happy thoughts. While he was slightly displeased by the handshake, he couldn’t keep his mind from imagining that tight grip other places.

Chapter 4

   Three more Thursday non-dates came and went and Gabriel still couldn’t decide if Sam was flirting or not. He pretending to ‘let it slip’ that he was bi by telling Sam about something hilarious a past boyfriend did and resolved the question of whether or not Sam was even interested in males. Gabriel had acted like accidentally telling Sam made him uncomfortable, so Sam had tried to make him feel better by telling him that both he and his brother were bi as well, though Sam believed that Dean was actually pan, since he made absolutely no distinction.

    Yet, Gabriel still didn’t know where their relationship stood. Gabriel knew that he valued Sam’s friendship, but was also desperate for something more. Sam, however, was the big mystery. Sometimes he’d lean forwards and look at Gabriel in a way that Gabriel felt left little doubt over how he felt. Then he’d pull away and start talking about his classes or something else friends would do. This fourth Thursday, Sam followed Gabriel back to his shop, neither one of them wanting to end the conversation.

    “Don’t you have classes or something?” Gabriel worried. Of course, he didn’t want Sam to go, but he didn’t want him to be late for class either.

    “No. My next class isn’t until two thirty,” Sam explained as he let the door swing shut behind him.

    “Awesome. So, what’d you like to do,” Gabriel asked, wiggling his eyebrows and smirking, “I’ve got to stand behind this counter, but don’t anticipate many customers. Sadly, most people are candied out this time of the year.”

    “I will try any candy you want,” Sam offered and Gabriel’s face lit up, “but you have to go running with me.” Gabriel’s mouth fell open and he stared at Sam. Sam just grinned like the mischievous little shit he was.

    “Running? I’m sorry, did you really say running? Do I look like I run?” Gabriel spluttered in disbelief.

    “Yes. Running. It’s good for you and I want to go somewhere other than the restaurant. With how often you try to get me to try your candy, I know you’re willing to bargain for it,” Sam raised his eyebrows, daring Gabriel to disagree.

    Gabriel opened his mouth and then shut it. At this point, he’d probably do whatever Sam asked him to as long as it meant spending more time with him. He wasn’t going to let Sam know though. “Fine. I’ll go running with you once if you try two pieces of candy,” Gabriel nodded signaling that this offer was non-negotiable.

    “That’s not fair,” Sam complained, “1 run to 2 pieces of candy. That’s…”

    “Fair,” Gabriel interrupted, “Running is worse than candy. You’re supposed to enjoy candy. Running is hell however you put it.”

    Sam scowled at him but agreed, “Fine, have it your way. What candy am I eating?”

    Gabriel’s face split in a grin as he practically danced out from behind the counter. “I know just the one. Here,” he reached into a jar and pulled out a soft, mint green candy, “This is going to be a thousand times better than that green smoothie. And, it’s health related to boot!”

    Sam took it from him and made a show of inspecting it, “How so?”

    “Matcha green tea flavored! Improved with added sugar,” Gabriel winked and bounced on his toes, hyper energy refusing to be contained. He hadn’t actually stocked this candy until he met Sam. He ordered it thinking of him, but it had actually turned out to be pretty popular.

     Sam gave the sweet a slightly less distrustful look and popped it into his mouth. He made a face Gabriel had seen on him often: eyebrows up, lips curving downward. Gabriel called it Sam’s unimpressed face. “It’s okay. Too sweet, but good.”

    Gabriel tried to mask his disappointment by rebutting Sam’s claim, “Nothing is ever too sweet. The more sugar, the better.” Gabriel gave Sam a lopsided grin and trotted to the other side of the room, “If you’re not even going to like the healthy one, then I’m just going to force this on you,” Gabriel went to his display case pulled out what he privately called the “motherfucker of all brownies”.

    “Holy shit, Gabe. That’s… terrifying,” Sam looked at the brownie with worried eyes. Gabriel smirked. His brownie deserved that reaction. Its base was a brownie with chocolate chips. Next, came a layer of Oreos over which he’d poured chocolate cake batter. Then a layer of whipped cream with chocolate and caramel drizzle.

    “You promised. Any two. Eat up,” Gabriel pushed the slice towards Sam.

    “Technically, that’s not candy,” Sam grumbled, but held out his hand, “Fork,” then he abruptly pulled it back, “Wait. You have to go running with me first. So I know you won’t cheap out on me.”

    Gabriel grimaced at Sam, but put the brownie back in the display case, “Whatever you say, Sam. You will eat this.” Gabriel gave Sam his most threatening look.

   “Okay, Okay,” Sam held up his hands, “I just…” The door swung open and the small bell attached to it jingled. A mother with three young children staggered in, “I should go. Next Thursday, run then lunch?” Sam stood as he asked.

    “If we get real burgers for once,” Gabriel countered. Sam rolled his eyes but nodded. He walked out the door, leaving Gabriel to navigate the minefield that was over-stressed mothers.

Chapter 5

    “Gabe?” Sam asked with his little half smile and snort.

    “What? I wanted to be prepared,” Gabriel gave Sam a look conveying that he saw nothing wrong with the way he was dressed. In reality, Gabriel had purposefully chosen a ridiculous outfit to go running in. He was wearing light green shorts that cut off above the knee and white socks with three green stripes at the top which ended below his knee. He was wearing a green sweatband around his head and two smaller ones around his wrists. Gabriel wasn’t sure if his motives were revenge against Sam for making him run or just because he felt like it. Maybe a bit of both.

    Sam pinched his lips together, “Okay. Your choice.” Sam held up both his hands.

    “How much do I have to run?” Gabriel eyed the track with trepidation.

    “One mile, four laps,” Sam said and stepped onto the track. Gabriel’s eyes fell to the waistband of Sam’s soft, gray pants and how they hung on his hips. Swallowing hard, he forced his eyes away. Then he processed Sam’s words.

     “Four? Are you crazy?” Gabriel was regretting this already, but the eager look on Sam’s face had him stepping on the track.

    “It’s not that hard. Just take it at a light jog,” Sam motioned to Gabriel and started along the track. Gabriel’s mouth felt dry as he watched Sam. He shook it off and followed him. After one lap, Gabriel was ready to call it quits. Sam willingly slowed down with him but refused to let him stop entirely. After the second lap, it was obvious that a storm was rolling in. Sam told Gabriel that no rain was in the forecast and not to worry. It started raining during Gabriel’s fourth lap. He was in pain and the rain didn’t help one bit. Sam told him just to finish since they were already wet. Gabriel grumbled, but obediently finished the lap despite the screaming in his legs and lungs.

    It was as they were walking off the track and heading towards where Sam had parked his car that Sam discovered the large puddle of mud waiting beside the track. He fell with a shout and landed full on his back. He lay there, stunned, for a moment and Gabriel found the motivation to run the few extra steps it took to bring him next to Sam. He knelt in the mud, not even noticing when it soaked through his socks.

    “Sam! Are you okay?” Gabriel reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

    “Ugh. I’m fine. Just got the wind knocked out of me and now I’m filthy,” Sam lifted up a mud-soaked leg to inspect, “I don’t have any towels in the car. Great. I’m just going to get mud all over my car.”

    “My apartment is walking distance  from here. I’d be happy to let you clean up and wait out the rain there,” Gabriel offered without thinking. The moment the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. He didn’t want Sam to feel awkward.

    “You’re amazing. Thank you,” Sam put a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder and then removed it to stand up, leaving tingles racing down Gabriel’s arm. Gabriel scrambled to his feet.

    “No worries. It’s just five blocks from here,” Gabriel headed off to the left, surprised that he knew exactly where his house was from the running track. He glanced back to make sure Sam was following. Sam was shaking his limbs, trying to dislodge at least some of the mud while he staggered after Gabriel. It was hilarious to see this giant man practically shaking like a dog. Gabriel snickered and Sam just narrowed his eyes in response.

     Gabriel slowed so Sam could walk next to him. All Gabriel could think about was reaching out and taking Sam’s hand. His hand twitched, but he held it back. It was hard to talk in the rain, so they walked in silence until they reached Gabriel’s apartment complex and Gabriel led Sam to number 324.

    “So, here’s home,” Gabriel flung open the door and lifted his arms up in a dramatic gesture, “And if you don’t like it you can very well keep your comments to yourself.” Gabriel gave Sam a sassy look as he backed into his apartment.

    “As long as you have a decent shower, I love it,” Sam claimed.

    “Yeah, okay. Just go down there,” Gabriel motioned to the right, “It’s the first door on your left.”

    “Great…um, I’m going to get mud on your floor. I’m really sorry,” Sam stepped carefully off the welcome mat.

    Gabriel snorted, “I don’t care. Just get on with it.” Gabriel stayed on the mat to remove his shoes and muddy socks. He watched Sam’s retreating back and tried to steer his thoughts away from hot water running down Sam’s body. Gabriel left his shoes on the mat and took his socks to the laundry bin. He popped into his room for a quick change into sweatpants and a t-shirt. He wasted a few minutes staring in the mirror and pulling down on the edges of his shirt feeling uncharacteristically self-conscious. He heard the water shut off and was snapped out of his trance by Sam’s voice.

    “Gabe!” Sam shouted from the bathroom, “Do you have any dry clothes I would fit?”

    Shit! Gabriel had not thought about that. “One moment, let me look.” One-half of his brain was sorting through his entire closet and the other half was running in circles that pretty much sounded like _holycrapholycrap Sam Winchester in my clothes holycrapholycrap_. After a few minutes of digging, he found some old sweatpants he’d stolen from a previous boyfriend (not that he was going to tell Sam that) and a shirt which was always baggy on him. Gabriel almost left the shirt behind, hoping Sam would then just opt to go without a shirt.

    “Hey, Sam, I found some stuff. They’re not exactly new, but I think they’ll fit,” He put the clothes down on the ground, “I left them right outside the door,” Gabriel informed Sam and then backed up into the living room and sat on the couch. It wasn’t long before Sam emerged from the bathroom and Gabriel just about swallowed his tongue. The shirt which was big on him fit itself to Sam’s chest and outlined his muscles in an entirely too enticing way.

    “My hair… um, there’s stuff stuck in it. I don’t know if it’s mud or leaves or twigs, but it’s really in there. I hate to ask, but could you help me?” Sam seemed supremely embarrassed as he stuttered out his request. Gabriel, on the other hand, had to reel in his enthusiasm.

   “Yeah, of course. Come here,” Gabriel stood and walked back towards the bathroom, grabbing a stool on the way. Sam followed and Gabriel directed him to sit on the stool. He inspected the back of Sam’s head, “Dude. You’ve got one of those huge gum balls trees drop and lots of leaves stuck in there. I’m going to have to pull the gum ball out and then brush the leaves out, okay?”

    “Yeah, yeah. Just go ahead,” Gabriel could swear Sam was blushing, “If you were my brother I’d be getting shit about keeping my hair long.”

    Gabriel started working at the gum ball, trying not to pull Sam’s hair, “You’re not gonna get that from me. Look at my hair. I wouldn’t have a foot to stand on.” Sam chuckled and his shoulders relaxed. Gabriel patted himself on the back for getting Sam to loosen up. It took a while, but eventually Gabriel removed the gum ball without too much damage to Sam’s hair. He stepped in front of Sam and made a big deal of presenting it to him.

    “And here is the head of your nemesis, the dreadful Gum Ball!” Gabriel held it out on his open palm. Sam quirked an eyebrow at him.

    “Thank you?” Sam plucked it out of Gabriel’s hand and tossed it into the trash can beside him. Gabriel pretended to pout as he retrieved his hair brush and Sam shook his head. Gabriel began gently brushing the leaves out of Sam’s hair. Sam leaned back into the hairbrush and let out a small sigh. Gabriel raised his eyebrows and grinned like an idiot.

    He leaned down to whisper teasingly in Sam’s ear, “You like that do you?”

    Sam turned his head to the left so he was looking at Gabriel. Their faces were barely an inch apart. “Yeah. Yeah, actually I do, Gabe,” Sam breathed across Gabriel’s face. And that was all the warning he gave before lifting a hand to push into Gabriel’s and pulling his face closer, lips meeting in a kiss. A startled noise escaped from Gabriel’s throat as he dropped the brush. Sam pulled away, a blush already rising in his cheeks. Before the stammered apology Gabriel knew was coming, he swung around to face Sam and, grabbing the back of his head, kissed him firmly.

    Sam moaned and let his lips part. Gabriel eagerly licked his way in and ran his tongue along Sam’s gum line. Sam moved his hands from Gabriel’s head to his waist and heat pulsed beneath them. Gabriel pulled away before Sam did. He was awkwardly bent over and as amazing as it was to kiss Sam the position was really uncomfortable.     

    “I’m gonna say you were okay with that?” Sam asked Gabriel.

    Gabriel grinned impishly at him, “I’ve been wanting to do that since you first walked into my shop.”

    “Maybe we could relocate?” Sam suggested.

    Gabriel was all for that idea, but Sam’s hair really needed help. “Let me finish your hair first,” he bent to retrieve the brush from the floor.

    “Sure,” Sam smiled up at him and reached out a hand. Gabe got the meaning and leaned down to give Sam one, small kiss. Sam pouted a little bit, while it was really adorable, Gabriel returned to removing the last few leaves from Sam’s hair. Behind his head, where Sam couldn’t see, Gabriel had a mini heart attack. Sam had just kissed him. And then suggested they relocate. Gabriel figured he would probably die of happiness and disbelief, but this would all be completely worth it.

    Gabriel was not ashamed to admit that he relished the way Sam seemed to enjoy getting hair brushed and might have dragged the process out a little bit. When Gabriel announced that he was finished, Sam stood up, knocking the stool over and pulled Gabriel in for a kiss. They somehow made it to the couch and spent the rest of the afternoon bouncing between heated, open-mouthed lip locks and lazy, heartfelt kisses.

    Two weeks later saw Gabriel taking a careful sip of the dreaded green smoothie. Sam laughed at Gabriel’s repulsed face and that made it entirely worth it. The first time Sam  took Gabriel home to meet his family was a disaster (Gabriel didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut) but they all grew to love him. And when Sam said yes to Gabriel two years after their first date, Gabriel knew he was going to die. No one could survive being so happy.


End file.
